Better to hide from the Indian scouts the graves of our people,

65 Lest they should count them and see how many

already have perished !” Sadly his face he averted, and strode up and down,

and was thoughtful.

Fixed to the opposite wall was a shelf of books,

and among them Prominent three, distinguished alike for bulk and for

binding; Bariffe's Artillery Guide, and the Commentaries of Cæsar,

70 Out of the Latin translated by Arthur Goldinge of

London, And, as if guarded by these, between them was stand

ing the Bible. Musing a moment before them, Miles Standish paused,

as if doubtful Which of the three he should choose for his consola

tion and comfort, permitted, this place was sown with wheat to prevent the Indians from learning how weak the colony was growing by counting the graves.

70 Commentaries of Cæsar: what was the subject of these Commentaries?

31 Arthur Goldinge: the translator of many classical works.

Whether the wars of the Hebrews, the famous campaigns of the Romans,

75 Or the Artillery practice, designed for belligerent

Christians. Finally down from its shelf he dragged the ponderous

Roman, Seated himself at the window, and opened the book,

and in silence Turned o'er the well-worn leaves, where thumb-marks

thick on the margin, Like the trample of feet, proclaimed the battle was hottest.

80 Nothing was heard in the room but the hurrying pen

of the stripling, Busily writing epistles important, to go by the May

flower, Ready to sail on the morrow, or next day at latest,

God willing! Homeward bound with the tidings of all that terrible

winter,

75 In what period of their history occurred “the wars of the Hebrews"?

79, 80 Explain the meaning of these lines.

83 The Mayflower sailed on her return voyage April 15, 1621. How old was the colony then ?

84 Terrible winter: terrible from the bereavements and priva

2. Letters written by Alden, and full of the name of Priscilla,

85 Full of the name and the fame of the Puritan maiden

Priscilla !

II

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP

Nothing was heard in the room but the hurrying

pen of the stripling, Or an occasional sigh from the laboring heart of the

Captain, Reading the marvellous words and achievements of

Julius Cæsar. After a while he exclaimed, as he smote with his

hand, palm downwards, Heavily on the page :

" A wonderful man was this Cæsar! You are a writer, and I am a fighter, but here is a

fellow

90

tions they suffered in trying to make a home in an unsettled country. But the season itself was a mild one for New England.

85 Priscilla: see the sketch of the poem in the preface. 89 Bring into class a sketch of Julius Cæsar.

Who could both write and fight, and in both was

equally skilful !” Straightway answered and spake John Alden, the

comely, the youthful : “ Yes, he was equally skilled, as you say, with his pen and his weapons.

95 Somewhere have I read, but where I forget, he could

dictate Seven letters at once, at the same time writing his

memoirs." “Truly," continued the Captain, not heeding or hear

ing the other, “ Truly a wonderful man was Caius Julius Cæsar! Better be first, he said, in a little Iberian village, Than be second in Rome, and I think he was right

when he said it. Twice was he married before he was twenty, and

many times after ; Battles five hundred he fought, and a thousand cities

he conquered ;

100

100 It is told of Cæsar that as he was once marching through a wretched little village of barbarians and there arose some mocking comment among his companions about there being no canvassing for office there, he remarked that for his part he would rather be first there than second even in Rome. Standish evidently agrees with him. What do you think of the sentiment?

105

He, too, fought in Flanders, as he himself has recorded;
Finally he was stabbed by his friend, the orator

Brutus !
Now, do you know what he did on a certain occasion

in Flanders,
When the rear-guard of his army retreated, the front

giving way too, And the immortal Twelfth Legion was crowded so

closely together There was no room for their swords ? / Why, he seized

a shield from a soldier, Put himself straight at the head of his troops, and

commanded the captains, Calling on each by his name, to order forward the

ensigns;

W

IIQ

104 Can you give the name of a famous man connected with the Virginia colony who also fought in Flanders?

Flanders: a county of the Low Countries or the Netherlands (now Holland and Belgium) where war was waged with Spain. The seven counties which continued the war until they gained their independence made up the modern Holland.

106 Flanders: in the time of Cæsar, Flanders and the rest of what is now Belgium were not divided from France, and the Romans called the whole country Gaul. This part of it was occupied by the Belgi whom Cæsar considers “the bravest of all the Gauls.”

108 Legion: a division of the Roman army consisting of about five thousand inen. The Twelfth Legion was Cæsar's favorite.

111 What would be the effect of this order when executed ?